119-hr3598

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3598 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 3598

To amend title 49, United States Code, to establish a pilot program for 
 small, nonlethal deescalation unmanned aircraft to be used for law 
 enforcement and public safety, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 May 23, 2025

 Mr. Nehls (for himself, Mr. Davis of North Carolina, Mr. Finstad, Mr. 
 Higgins of Louisiana, Ms. Boebert, Mr. Stauber, Mr. Moore of Alabama, 
 Mr. Newhouse, Mr. Zinke, Mr. Wied, and Ms. Maloy) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation 
 and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

To amend title 49, United States Code, to establish a pilot program for 
 small, nonlethal deescalation unmanned aircraft to be used for law 
 enforcement and public safety, and for other purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Deescalation Drone Pilot Program Act 
of 2025''.

SEC. 2. SMALL UNMANNED AIRCRAFT PILOT PROGRAM FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT AND 
 PUBLIC SAFETY.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 448 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
``

Sec. 44815. Small unmanned aircraft pilot program for law enforcement 
 and public safety
 ``

    (a) Prohibition Regarding Weapons.--The prohibition regarding 
unmanned aircraft armed with dangerous weapons under 

section 363 of the 
FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 (49 U.S.C. 44802 note) is reaffirmed.
 ``

    (b) Pilot Program.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--Not later than 2 months after the date 
 of enactment of this section, the Administrator of the Federal 
 Aviation Administration shall establish a deescalation drone 
 pilot program to review the potential use of nonlethal 
 deescalation unmanned aircraft by Federal, State, local, or 
 Tribal law enforcement responding to an active shooter event.
 ``

    (2) Contents.--The pilot program required under paragraph

    (1) shall--
 ``
        (A) address the process of reviewing and 
 validating nonlethal weapons that may be affixed to an 
 unmanned aircraft;
 ``
        (B) address training protocols for law 
 enforcement and agents of the Administration for the 
 use of nonlethal deescalation unmanned aircraft;
 ``
            (C) address operational and safety protocols for 
 operators of nonlethal deescalation unmanned aircraft 
 and agencies directly overseeing the operation of such 
 unmanned aircraft; and
 ``
            (D) assess the efficacy of nonlethal deescalation 
 unmanned aircraft in indoor active shooter events and 
 the safety benefits associated with increasing the safe 
 engagement distance between a law enforcement officer 
 and an active shooter.
 ``

    (3) Partnerships.--In carrying out the pilot program 
 under this subsection, the Administrator shall use existing 
 partnerships with the unmanned aircraft system test ranges 
 designated under 

section 44803, in collaboration with Federal, 
 State, and large metropolitan area law enforcement.
 ``

    (4) Interagency aviation agreements.--The Administrator 
 may enter into interagency aviation agreements, as necessary, 
 with the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland 
 Security, and State large metropolitan and rural law 
 enforcement agencies to support the pilot program under this 
 subsection.
 ``

    (5) Consultation.--The Administrator shall solicit input 
 from, and coordinate with, relevant stakeholders as appropriate 
 in carrying out the pilot program established under this 
 subsection.
 ``

    (6) Report.--Not later than 3 months after the conclusion 
 of the pilot program, the Administrator shall submit to the 
 Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of 
 Representatives a report on the results of the pilot program 
 that includes a plan outlining a proposed process through which 
 a law enforcement applicant to such program may seek permission 
 from the Administrator to operate nonlethal deescalation 
 unmanned aircraft.
 ``
            (c) Rulemaking.--Not later than 60 days after submitting the 
report required under subsection

    (b)

    (6) , the Administrator shall 
initiate a rulemaking to create a process through which the 
Administrator may provide approval--
 ``

    (1) for Federal, State, local, or Tribal law enforcement 
 to operate nonlethal deescalation unmanned aircraft during an 
 active shooter event; and
 ``

    (2) for manufacturers of nonlethal deescalation unmanned 
 aircraft to operate such devices for testing, validation, and 
 law enforcement demonstrations.
 ``
            (d) Manufacturing Requirement.--Any nonlethal deescalation 
unmanned aircraft used under the pilot program shall be manufactured in 
the United States, as defined by the Federal Trade Commission under 
part 323 of title 16, Code of Federal Regulations.
 ``

    (e) 

=== Definitions. ===
-In this section:
 ``

    (1) Active shooter event.--The term `active shooter 
 event' means an event in which--
 ``
        (A) an individual is actively engaged in 
 unlawfully killing or attempting to kill people using 
 explosives as defined under chapter 40 of title 18, 
 United States Code, or weapons subject to chapter 44 of 
 title 18 or chapter 53 of the Internal Revenue Code of 
 1986;
 ``
        (B) responding to the event poses a significant 
 risk to human life, including the lives of law 
 enforcement personnel and other individuals; and
 ``
            (C) absent an immediate use of force, the 
 individual described in subparagraph
        (A) would continue 
 posing a threat to human life.
 ``

    (2) Nonlethal deescalation unmanned aircraft.--The term 
 `nonlethal deescalation unmanned aircraft' means an unmanned 
 aircraft operated by law enforcement that--
 ``
        (A) is only equipped or armed with 1 or more 
 nonlethal weapons, including those that may be subject 
 to the definition provided in 

section 930

    (g)

    (2) of 
 title 18, United States Code; and
 ``
        (B) may be equipped with other nonlethal devices, 
 including intense sound distraction emitters, cameras, 
 targeting sensors, speakers, strobe lights and other 
 similar collateral equipment.
 ``

    (3) Nonlethal weapon.--The term `nonlethal weapon' means 
 a weapon, device, or munition that--
 ``
        (A) is explicitly designed and primarily employed 
 to immediately incapacitate targeted individuals or 
 property in the target area while minimizing--
 ``
            (i) fatalities;
 ``
            (ii) permanent injury to individuals; and
 ``
            (iii) undesired damage to property; and
 ``
        (B) is intended to have reversible effects on 
 individuals and property.''.

    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The analysis for chapter 448 of title 49, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

```44815. Small unmanned aircraft pilot program for law enforcement and 
 public safety.''.
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